The City of Bartow is located between Tampa and Orlando just South of Lakeland on State Rd. 60 in Polk County. Bartow was incorporated in 1982 with a current population of approximately 16,278 according to the 2005 U.S. Census Bureau.
Bartow was named in honor of Francis S. Bartow, the first Confederate officer to die in the American Civil War. While Bartow isn't a very large city, it does have the distinction of being the city in Polk County with the longest most colorful history.
